Spring retarder



Patented June 29, 1926.

vHENRY IZARD, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

.sr-lerne" aerienne-n.

Application filled 'August 1, 119725. .Serial No. `47,513.y

My invention relates to fspring retarders for land vehicles.

My object .is to .provide a .device Aof `.this Vc-hamcter specially adapted .to regulate the upward rebound of .auttri-nobile and `tar-:uch

spr-ings. *y

Asfs well ilinown, the-downward yielding of thespringsabsorbs .the shock of the ,load that would .otherwise :be imposed upon the chassis vof the vehicle when obstructions l'in the road, or irregularities vi-n the roadbed are passed :overg but when the springs recoil .from their downward movement, =the bodyof the vehicle isoftenthrown violently upward, sometimes .with a force .that kalmost lifts the-:vehicle olf the ground. rIfhis .causes the .load Jof the ivehicle, whether @it fbe persons or things, to lfbefbmuticed upwardly in a most objectionable manner, .which iisirendered all the more objectionable by reason of the fact that the upward .toss soif the body is :instantly :followed :by a downward jerk. This `upward [movement 'just described iinposes .a :heavy Astrain lon the .springs the `direction of their .least power of resistance, and Lfor the ltime,slessens :the-traction .power ofthe .wheels yby ilessening etheir 'frictional contact kwith the ground.

The abone `objectionable lieat-cures `of ordinary springs `causes bolts .and .nuts to work loose, and lessens the Llife oif the vvehicle vto a very considerabledegree.

Another object of any invention is ,to-.so arrange my ndevice 4that while regulating :the lupward rebound of the springs, lit :will in no way .interfere` with "their .regular downwardly yielding movement.

Minor lobjects will `appear Iin the `sub- `joined description. A

An important feature of :my linvention consists of a movable .disc factuated lrby Ythe pressure of anair-.tight rubber bag adapted to be inflated to any desired degree proporticnate to the rebound to be resisted.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a broken perspective showing one of my devices attached in operative position on a vehicle spring.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, with the cover removed; and,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View. Referring further to the drawings, the

each end of the vehicle.

numeral l .indicates a .casing having :cylindri-cal `side walls `1%,.andfa cover 2y provided withpa slight peripheraloliset fh-and 'held on the .casing l by .means offbolt-siil. The `cover 2 Ihas a `central Vopening' .5 which carries .a pin a6 held arigidlyv therein by `.means of .a key 7.. Adjacent the bottom of :the casing 1 {is `a disc 8 lwhich :form-s 1a Apiston movable toward .and .from said lbottom; and rigidly secured to this disc is -a .hollow `standard 9 with its central `opening 10 .adapted to receive .the pin :6 for y-l-'ongitudinal movement therein, .and `externally threaded as at 11.1. The pin .6 has longitudinal lteyway l2 and fthe stendardi) carries a lltey .13 .adapted for :longitudinal movement .in the leeyw-ay 12, lso .that fthe ,standard 9 is held against rotatable imovein-ent on :the pin i6, though .free to move longitudinally thereon. Gf course fthe key 1B ranibe-.cariied bythe pin 6., if preferred, Aas th'at :is simply a linatterof mechanical preference. l

Vin the zspace rbetween `the disc .or ypiston 8 and the bottom of the casing 11, is an yairtight :rubber bag flllwhich fis supplied with an ordinary air vvalve 15 for inflating :the

same. This valve extends o-ut through a central opening 16 in the 'bottomof the casing. y i

Mounted on the standard :9 is ya pulley ,17 axially t-hreaded .thereon for free co.-

.operation` therewith. This pulley is proivid'ed :annular :peripheral groove lain Awhich is carried a small cable .18, suitably secured at one end =to fthe Apulley as .at :18% and `:having its other end .extending` out through yan :opening 19 ,in .the circular ywall la. of .the scasing, :to bef connected at its .lower endto the axle of the lvehicle as indicated at 20. Mounted on the pin =6 vbetween tlrecoyerv-Q and the hub yof the pull-ey 17 isfthefthrust bearingQl.

The plate 2 is provided with a-suitable number of openings 22 for securing the device 1n operative position on the vehicle frame` In operation, the device is secured preferably to the upper portion ofthe spring, as illustrated in Fig; l, with the cord or cable 18 extending downwardly and connected by suitable means 23 t0 the axle of the vehicle. There may be one retarder for each spring, if so desired, or there may be only one for The rubber bag 14 is inflated with air in substantially the same way as is the inner tube of an automobile 1 vehicle is depressed. As thefup'per section of the spring moves upwardly on its return` movement, the cable is of course withdrawn -again which rotates the pulley 17, and

through the threaded standard 9 forces the disc 8 inwardly against the inflated rubber bag l-l, which offers resistance to said inward movement of the disrJ 8, and through it to the return movement or upward rebound of the spring. The amount of re- Y sistance is regulated by the amount of inflation of the bag. But however great the inflation of the bag may be, it does not in any way prevent the free downward movement of the spring. The thrust bearing" 21 relieves the pulley 17 of any objectionable degree offrictional contact with the cover 2 of the device. 'Hence it will be. seen that I have provided a device yof great simplicity and durability, with very few parts, no one of which is liable to get broken or out of order, the device being withal, admirably 'adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

I-Iaving now described my invention, vwhat I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with the frame and axle, of a flexible connection between said parts for resisting the movement of said parts in a direction away `from each other; a pulley rotatablyy mounted on one of said parts with one end of the flexible connection Vwound around said pulley, and the other end of the flexible connection secured to the other of said parts; a compressed air chamber having a movable wall; a rubber bag mounted in said chamber and adapted to press of thelspring withone end of the flexible connection wound around said pulley, and the other end of the iiexible connection adapted to be secured Vto the other one of said parts; a compressed air chamber having a movable wall; a threaded standard movable with said wall, said pulley having threaded bearingon said standard and adaptedto be rotated by the movements of the standard toward the pulley, to impart a yielding tension to the fiexible connection.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing adapted to be secured to one ofthe sections *of a vehicle spring; a cover for the casing rigidly secured thereto; a rigid guide pin Yextending inwardly from the cover; a movable disc adjacent the opposite side of the casing from the cover; a compressed air bag between said disc and said side. of Vthe casing; a hollow standard rigidly mounted on said disc and having guided longitudinal movement on said rigid pin towardand from the cover, said standard being externally. threaded; a pulley rotatably mounted on said-standard, said pulley having an axial opening threaded to cooperate with the external' threading of said rigid standard; a thrust bearing received lupon said fixed. pin between said pulley and the rigid cover of the casing; a cable having one end wound upon said pulley and its other end adapted to be secured to the other section of the spring, the casing having an opening for the free passage of the cable therethrough; and means for inflating the rubber bag in the casing.

In Vtestimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY IZARD. 

